Pet for Vets

Early morning web surfing, while drinking my coffee and trying to wake up, revealed a wonderful story about Healing and Homes for Vets and Pets.

"I used to not get out of the house at all," said Velez-Collazo, 37, whose 12 years as an Army combat battlefield nurse included deployments to Iraq and Kuwait. "Now I have to take her out. I get out of bed and put on some clothes."

That motivation to participate in normal daily activities is the goal of Pets for Vets, founded in 2008 by 27-year-old animal trainer Clarissa Black. The Los Angeles-based program matches homeless pets that may otherwise be euthanized with veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and other ailments from their time in a war zone.

"A lot of times, these veterans who are coming home feel abandoned, and they have a difficult time adjusting to civilian life," Black said. "A lot of them tell me that they would just like someone to say thank you. Pets for Vets is that way to say thank you. Both [the veteran and the pet] have been through traumatic events, and together they can help each other heal."

Both Pets for Vets and the other organization Pets2Vets accept (and probably badly need) donations. So, if you have a few dollars to spare for both pets and vets, please donate.

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In not so cheerful personal news... long story short my car had a fit on Tuesday and I need a new alternator. I'm hoping it will be ready today because I've been relying on friends and family and co-workers to get me about for two days. Living in the boonies has its draw-backs.